Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams, Kurt Rambis and the Lockout

The past four weeks have seen many changes for the Minnesota Timberwolves squad. Some of these changes include drafting Derrick Williams, entering the NBA lockout, and – just released today – officially relieving Head Coach Kurt Rambis. How will all of these factors influence the young ball club?

On June 23, the Timberwolves drafted the Arizona Wildcats star No. 2 overall. Although there were some rumors that Williams would be traded due to his play style being similar to Minnesota's Michael Beasley, Timberwolves President David Kahn spoke otherwise.

"We're not trading Derrick Williams," Kahn promised. "He will be in a Timberwolves uniform next year."

As a Wildcat, Williams averaged 19 points and eight rebounds last season and is looking to play the small forward position in the NBA.

"The prospect of adding Derrick to the team really excited him," Kahn said. "So I felt comfortable based on those conversations and conversations with Derrick that the kids wanted to make this work and that they could all play together."

The Timberwolves also acquired Brad Miller in a trade transaction, and with the signing of Ricky Rubio, fans are exhibiting cautious excitement.

Just seven days after the draft, however, the NBA announced the commencement of a player lockout. The lockout officially began at 12:01 a.m. ET and will last until a collective bargaining agreement is reached by the league.

"We need a sustainable business model that allows all 30 teams to be able to compete for a championship, fairly compensates our players, and provides teams, if well-managed, with an opportunity to be profitable," said NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver.

According to nba.com, players will not receive any part of their salaries during the lockout period. Teams are not allowed to trade or sign players or negotiate with other organizations, and they will not hold training camps, team meetings, or practices.

While there are those (i.e. Derek Fisher) that see the entire bargaining process as positive and productive, some players have spoken out with bold opinions on how the situation should be handled.  Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant is just one of these individuals.

"We're going to stand up for what we have to do, no matter how long it's going to take," said Durant to the Associated Press. "No matter how long the lockout's going to take, we're going to stand up. We're not going to give in."

So what does this mean for Minnesota? Some individuals feel as if the Timberwolves organization never really catches a break. Things had started looking up for the squad roster-wise, and they are now facing the – dare I say it – very real possibility that this year's NBA season will not happen.

Various players, Deron Williams being one of them, have already decided to play overseas for the upcoming season. After all, why not play somewhere where you'll be a superstar – not to mention that you'll be receiving a paycheck.

Is there a chance that any Minnesota players will go overseas? I'm not sure. But I do know it's going to be challenging to start a season with such a raw, young roster without any practice or preseason. While teams like the Lakers have been playing together for years, Rubio, Williams, Beasley, Miller and Kevin Love have much less experience.

And the icing on top of the cake? The Timberwolves announced today that they relieved Rambis of his coaching position in Minnesota. Rambis, who came to the midwest in 2009 after serving as an assistant coach under Phil Jackson, has a record of only 32-132 while leading the Wolves.

While one must acknowledge that Rambis didn't necessarily have deep squads to work with, minimal – if any – improvement has been made, and the time has come to try another hand. The question is, however...

whose?